The World Wide Web (WWW) provides access to a vast amount of information. At times, some information is accessed much more frequently than other information. At other times, information that was frequently accessed previously becomes less frequently accessed. For example, when a hot news story is first published on the WWW, many users may request the Web page featuring the story. As the story becomes older and other stories are published, the Web page may be requested less frequently. Eventually, the Web page may be requested seldom if at all.
Similarly, a company may announce a new product and post information on its Web site about the product. Initially, many users may request Web pages regarding the product. These requests may follow a certain pattern each day. For example, during morning working hours, requests for Web pages regarding the product may spike. Later in the day, requests for the Web pages may decrease. At night, relatively few requests for the pages may be received.
A company may place information on a Web page for a variety of reasons. For example, it may place information on Web pages to attract potential customers, inform employees, or establish a presence on the Web. When a user is required to wait too long for a Web page to be served, however, the user often loses interest and decides to visit other Web sites or pages. Responding too slowly to Web page requests may be harmful for sales, decrease worker productivity, or give a company a bad image.